


5 Times Bruce Had To Be Convinced To Celebrate Christmas And One Time He Convinced Someone Else

by Otje



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-20 16:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13150827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otje/pseuds/Otje
Summary: 1. It's Dick's first Christmas with Bruce and he just wants to do it right. Even Batman has to like Christmas, right?2. Jason overhears Bruce and Dick arguing over the phone and decided that he just wants to celebrate Christmas without having to think about stupid supposed older brothers.3. Tim has been invited to celebrate Christmas at Wayne Manor but doesn't know what to think when Bruce doesn't seem to know anything about it.4. Cass: coming soon





	1. Dick

 

It was almost Christmas so activity in Gotham’s underbelly was at an all-year high. There had been a jewelry heist the night before and the GCPD had asked his assistance to locate the perpetrator. The camera inside the shop had been shot out, but he was trying to retrieve the footage from right before it had been destroyed.

He thought he was finally getting somewhere, when…

“Bruuuuce? Are you coming? Alfred said I could decorate the tree. Are you going to help? And Alfred said we’re going to make Christmas cookies later. He said you haven’t made any in a long time? Why? Don’t you like cookies? ...”

“Dick.”

Dick just kept talking.

“Dick!”

Still nothing

“DICK!”

This time he fell quiet and looked at Bruce with big eyes.

“I’m working, Dick.”

“Yes, I know, but it’s almost Christmas. We have to get everything ready. Do you want to do _Secret Santa_? I’ve never done it but the children in my class said that it’s fun to do.”

“I have work to do, Dick.”

“Yes, but…”

“This is urgent. You’ll have to talk to Alfred about the way you want to celebrate Christmas. I’m sure he can help you a lot better than I ever could.”

“But…”

“I’m serious. Just go upstairs to Alfred. I’ll come up later.”

He heard Dick mutter, “No, you won’t,” before he ran off, a dejected look on his face.

Bruce felt guilty about brushing Dick off like that, but he needed to work, the GCPD depended on him. It came with being Batman and as such he had an obligation to the city.

 

* * *

 

“Master Bruce.”

Bruce could hear Alfred descend the stairs and he didn’t sound happy.

“Yes, Alfred.”

“Master Dick came to me with tears in his eyes because he believes his guardian doesn’t want to celebrate Christmas with him. Perhaps you could tell me why he would ever think such a thing?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to celebrate with him, I told him that I had work to do, right now.”

Alfred sighed.

“This is the first Christmas the boy has without his parents, he needs you to be there for him, especially during a time as family oriented as Christmas.”

“But, Alfred, ...”

“Batman can take a day off, I’m certain the police department can manage one night without your assistance.”

“Of course, but this is urgent.”

Alfred came to stand beside him to get a better look at what he was doing. Then he arched an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m certain a jewelry-thief is more important than the distraught eight-year-old upstairs.”

Bruce almost winced. He knew that rarely if ever agreed with the way he prioritized things, but now it wasn’t just silent disagreement and barely hidden looks of dissent, now he actually voiced his opinion which meant he would not let this slide. Bruce would have to change his ways or be faced with Alfred’s wrath.  
Not something he looked forward to.

“Just a moment, alright? I’ll come up shortly. Just have to finish this.”

Alfred sighted but chose not to comment and instead left to go back to Dick.

Bruce just continued working, trying to identify the jewelry-thief.

 

* * *

 

Bruce thought he would finally be left alone to concentrate on his work when he heard shuffling behind him before a young voice spoke up.

“It’s okay, you know. It’s not like I expected you to want to celebrate Christmas with me. I just thought that you might like to decorate the tree, but it is okay if you don’t or if you’d like to do it on your own.”

Bruce felt his heart break at the defeated tone of Dick’s voice. This was not what he wanted to happen.

He turned around to see Dick hopping from foot to foot, a nervous habit of his.

“Oh, Dick. It’s not that. I just wanted to get some work done. Me not wanting to help decorate the Christmas tree has nothing to do with you, in fact I’d be honored if you’d want to celebrate Christmas with me.”

Dick looked at him in a way that was still guarded but also so much more open and hopeful than it had been moments earlier, so Bruce continued.

“Ever since I became Batman I’ve helped the GCPD on Christmas Eve, it has been a long time since Christmas was something to be celebrated around here. I forgot that for you Christmas would be as important as it was for me when I was young. I’m sorry, Dick.”

Dick looked at him with those big hopeful eyes of his before turning shy. Bruce walked over to him and ruffled his hair.

“What is it, chum? I promise I’ll help if I can.”

“Do you – um – did your family have things they used to do for Christmas?”

Dick looked expectantly at him for a moment before continuing.

“My parents and I, well the whole circus actually, we used to have this big show on Christmas Eve and afterwards we’d all eat together, usually something typical for the region we were in on that moment. Last year we were in Brussels, in Belgium and we ate French fries and waffles. They told us that French fries weren’t French but Belgian and that everyone should stop calling them French fries. It was really funny.”

And just like that Bruce knew that Dick would be just fine. He put his hand on Dick’s shoulder and looked him in the eye.

“We used to have something too,” he steered Dick towards the stairs, “in my family there is this old Christmas angel and it is tradition for the youngest in the family to put in on top of the Christmas tree.”

They got to the attic and Bruce still remembered where his parents, and in addition Alfred, kept the Christmas supplies and as such was able to locate his target quickly.  
He found the angel and gave it to Dick, who looked at it as if he couldn’t believe what he’s seeing.

“Do you want to continue that tradition, Dickie?”

Dick looked up from the angel and nodded fervently enough that Bruce couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

“Come on, I’m sure Alfred has been waiting for us at the tree for way too long by now.”

Dick grinned and allowed him to lead the way down, still holding the angel reverently. 

 

* * *

 

 

He’s holding Dick's ankles while the boy stands on his shoulder to be able to reach the top of the tree and place the angel there when he remembers what Dick said earlier.

“If you want we can go into the city later to eat some authentic chili dogs, I hear they’re traditional Gotham food.”

And Dick looks down at him with such a brilliant grin on his face that he can’t help but think that he made the right choice by leaving the lab to be with his boy.


	2. Jason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason overhears Bruce and Dick arguing over the phone and decided that he just wants to celebrate Christmas without having to think about stupid supposed older brothers.

Bruce was pinching the bridge of his nose after a conversation with Dick when Jason came barreling through the door of his study.

“B, Alfred said – oh.”

He skidded to a halt in front of Bruce and Bruce looked at him with probably too much lingering irritation in his look. Jason immediately shrinks into himself and Bruce feels like chastising himself for being that way towards Jason.

“I’ll come back later.”

And then Jason turned on his heel and was all ready to leave but Bruce wasn’t going to let him off that easily. He narrowed his eyes and just that was enough to get Jason to freeze.

“What is it, Jay?”

Jason averted his eyes when Bruce looked at him, further convincing Bruce that something was wrong.

“No, it’s nothing, nothing that can’t wait.”

Jason looked uncomfortable, it was a look Bruce was still getting used to now that Jason had stopped running away any time he felt uncomfortable. So even though Bruce didn’t like that Jason felt uncomfortable with him as much as he did, Bruce was glad that there was progress in he went about showing he felt that way.

He sighed.

“It’s okay, Jay-lad. I’m not angry with you. You can tell me later if you want.”

Jason let out a relieved sigh and disappeared as fast as he could.  
Sometimes Bruce really felt like he had to remember that this was a ten-year-old boy who had lived on the streets for over a year, a place where every adult had to be considered an enemy if he wanted to survive and, as such, trusting Bruce was not something that would come easy to Jason.

Jason had been Robin for a few months now and while Dick had still not given his blessing to the little boy that was technically like his little brother, or even had a real interaction with Jason, Bruce was proud of Jason and felt like Dick would be as well if he took the time to see how hard Jason worked to live up to the big shoes that Dick had left for him to fill.

Dick who now refused to come home for the holidays and instead chose to play at being an adult in New York with other teenage heroes. Bruce was aware of the fact that little boys grow up but there was a difference between knowing and _knowing_.  
Now Dick refused to come home for the holidays and the argument about it had resulted in another fight over the phone. Now that Bruce thought about it, Dick had never actually seen Jason, even though he’d been living with them for almost a year now.

Jason, who was now probably scared that he’d done something wrong, despite what Bruce told him.  
He should go and look for his youngest, make sure the boy wasn’t scared for no reason.  
He got up from behind his desk and went to Jason’s room. When knocking on the door didn’t garner a response he opened the door to find an empty room with an open window.  
He went to the window and looked out of it to see footsteps in the snow on the windowsill. He climbed through the window and was not surprised to find Jason on the roof, looking off into the distance.

“Hey B.”

“Hello Jason.”

“You can sit if you want.”

Bruce arched an eyebrow.

“Ready to tell me what’s going on?”

Jason frowned.

“Just don’t like it when you argue with him. He always makes you angry.”

Bruce sighed.

“I Know, Jay, but he is my son and I’d like to see him in situations that don’t require masks and fighting sometimes.”

He pulled Jason close and the boy burrowed himself into his side.

“Why? All he does is yell at you?”

Bruce ruffled Jason’s hair.

“Because I worry, it’s apparently a natural thing for fathers to do, worry about their children. Take last night for instance, when you jumped off that roof without shooting your grapple first, I worried, right up until were safely on the next roof. And again, when you took your next jump and so on and on. Every time you might be in danger I worry about you because you are precious to me and I couldn’t bare to lose you. Do you understand?”

Jason nodded.

“And it’s the same with Dick? You worry because he might be in danger as well?”

“Yes, he’s older than you are and doesn’t need me as much anymore, but I will always worry.”

“Then why exactly do you fight that often?”

“You know why, Jay-lad. I tend to say the wrong words and he’s still hurt because of what I said when he left.”

Jason hummed.

“Or maybe he wants to hear the wrong words?”

They were quiet for a while until Jason looked up at him.

“He doesn’t like me very much, does he?”

Bruce pulled Jason tighter into him.

“He just doesn’t know you and that’s not your fault. He’s just never around to meet you. All he knows is what the media puts out.”

“And nothing good ever comes from that.” Jason finished bitterly.

“But that’s not your fault.” Bruce took a deep breath. “Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?”

Jason looked up at him with a vulnerable look in his eyes, one that Bruce knew he only got when he was really unsure about something.

“I wanted to ask what we were going to do for Christmas?”

Bruce must have done something wrong then because Jason immediately falters and his eyes go from vulnerable to scared.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to celebrate because Dick isn’t here but I was just curious.”

Bruce consciously molded his face into a gentler expression before replying.

“Was there something you wanted to do?”

The boy looked contrite and a bit scared still so Bruce gave him another little nudge.

“It’s okay, Jay-lad. I’m not gonna be mad if there is.”

Jason looked at him one more time before answering.

“My mom and I, we used to do this thing where we went to the soup kitchens to help out on Christmas Eve. Last few years we didn’t, obviously, but before that we always went.”

Then he stopped and even though he didn’t say it, Bruce knew what he meant to ask.

“How about we go there on Christmas Eve, while Alfred gets everything ready for the gala?”

The face Jason pulled at the mention of the annual Wayne Christmas Gala was so adorable that Bruce had to keep from laughing.

“Do we have to go there? I hate those horrible old-people-parties. Everyone always either wants to pinch my cheek or tell you how you made a mistake by taking me in.”

Now Bruce can’t help but smile.

“Yes, Jason, we have to go, we’re the hosts after all, but I promise you that you’ll have me all to yourself on Christmas day, we can even go to that bookshop you love so much.”

And that is enough for Jason to brighten up again.

“Yes! Okay, I’m in, but you have to hold up your end of the deal.”

Jason holds his hand out to shake on it and he looks so serious that Bruce can’t help but chuckle, but he takes Jason’s offered hand and gives it a firm shake. Then Jason nods and Bruce knows that he’ll do as he promised.

 

* * *

 

They’re at a soup kitchen in the worst part of Gotham and any other day Bruce would be cataloguing threats and try to identify anything out of the ordinary but right now all he can look at is a boy he hopes to call his own soon, the adoption papers burning a hole in his pocket, waiting to be signed. Then Jason looks at him and offers him a wide smile before turning back to an elderly woman who is telling him all about her nephew who is going to go to law school when he grows up. And Bruce can’t help but he proud of this boy who has every right to be angry with the world for everything he’s been put through and is such a beacon of hope and light instead.

He smiles back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this, please let me know what you think.


	3. Tim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim has been invited to celebrate Christmas at Wayne Manor but doesn't know what to think when Bruce doesn't seem to know anything about it.

Bruce had holed himself away in the Cave, trying to avoid Dick. Dick, who’d come home for the holidays for the first time in years and now there was nothing Bruce wanted to do more than to send him away. Dick being home only reminded him of the times Dick had refused to come while Jason had been alive.

That it had taken Jason dying for Dick to try and patch up his relationship with Bruce. And even then, only because Tim told him he had to.

Tim, another boy he willfully and knowingly put in danger every night, despite what had happened to Jason.

It wasn’t fair to compare Tim to Jason; the boys were like day and night. Where Jason had been rash and headstrong, Tim thought everything through and favored using his head over his fists. But Jason had been his son, where Tim Drake was simply the next-door-neighbor’s kid. Jason had been reckless and disobedient, but Bruce still felt like he was the one responsible for his son’s death and taking on another Robin didn’t help to appease that guilt.

Tim Drake was a good kid. There was no denying that. He did good in school, was usually obedient, he was kind and respectful and had a strong moral compass. All in all, he seemed like the perfect teenage boy, especially when one needed a sidekick, but he was still a child, they were all children.

He sighed. Why had he ever allowed Dick to become Robin? It was something he’d asked himself countless times over the years, and even more so since Jason’s death.

Everyone being ready to celebrate Christmas, ignoring that they missed someone very important felt like the Christmas after his parents died all over again. He felt like he couldn’t even put on a façade of happiness for Dick and Tim, there was no reason to bother with Alfred, he would see right through it. But not being able to give his one remaining son the Christmas he deserved also meant he felt even more guilty. Both celebrating and not celebrating felt wrong.

 Bruce subsequently realized that he had in the Cave for too long as he heard someone coming down the stairs. For a moment he contemplated hiding but in the end, he didn’t, knowing that if he did it would just cause even more strife between him and whoever was entering the Cave.

“Bruce? What are you doing here? I thought you were out?”

Okay. So, at least Dick hadn’t noticed that Bruce had been avoiding him.

“Just working on a case, Dick. Nothing special.”

“Alright. Then you’ll have no problem coming up to decorate the Christmas tree.”

“I’m working, Dick.”

“No, you’re not. You’re avoiding spending time with us for reasons that I can partially guess and understand and partially can’t. And it ends now. You can’t keep running forever. Yes, I understand that it’s hard, it’s hard for me too, he was my little brother after all.”

At that Bruce turned around and levelled Dick with a furious glare.

“How could he be your brother when you didn’t even know him!? You never even wanted to get to know him. To you he was just your replacement, a boy I picked up to fill your place. But you know what, Dick? He was my son and he will always be my son, so don’t tell me that you understand what it felt like to lose him. What it will feel like for the rest of my life. He’s gone and he’s never coming back. Do you understand that, Dick? The Joker snuffed out a light that managed to keep brightening the darkness that is Gotham despite all the efforts to dose it, through every hardship he managed to stay positive. He was so strong, Dick. The strongest kid I ever met and because of me he is now dead. So no, you don’t understand how hard it is.”

He was out of breath by the time he stopped talking but at least he’d made it clear to Dick exactly how this was going to go. Not the way he thought it would.  
But he also felt surprisingly raw. He’d never explicitly told anyone what he’d just told Dick. Many had guessed of course, but he had never confirmed, nor stated that he felt like he was the one responsible for Jason’s death.  
It seemed only natural, though, he had been Jason’s father and as such had been responsible for Jason’s safety, meaning that any harm the boy suffered was on him.

Dick sighed.

“Fine. You can wallow further in your self-pity, I’ll find Timmy to decorate the tree. I’m sure he’ll be happy to assist.”

He then stalked out of the Cave, leaving Bruce on his own once more.

With Dick gone, Bruce simply felt even more guilty than he had before. He didn’t want to antagonize Dick, didn’t want to lose both his boys and he was sure Jason wouldn’t want him to either.

And despite what he’d told Dick, he was well aware of the fact that the boys had been getting to know each other and that Jason had really looked up to Dick.

Sighing he got up and ascended the stairs to his study, which was, luckily, empty.

Dick said that Tim would help him decorate the tree, which meant that Tim wasn’t at his own house. Why wouldn’t he be with his own parents? Bruce knew that the Drakes were away more often than not, permitting Tim to be Robin without his parents knowing about him, but Bruce had a hard time imagining them being gone for the Holidays as well.

Frowning Bruce decided to look for Tim to ask him about that.

He found Tim with Dick in the salon they used most often.  
They were decorating a gigantic tree that Bruce had never seen before, so it was probably a recent addition to the Manor. And judging by the sheer size of the thing, Dick had definitively been the one to buy it. only he would buy a tree that was tall enough that it almost touched the lofty ceilings of Wayne Manor.

Tim noticed Bruce before Dick did.

“Um, hi mister Wayne.”

“You can call me Bruce, Tim, I don’t mind.”

He’d told Tim the same thing every day since he’d first started training to become Robin, almost half a year by that point.

“Okay, mister Wayne.”

And with that he gave the same answer he always did.

“Why are you here, Tim?” He quickly continued afterwards when he saw Tim’s terrified look. “It’s not that I don’t want you to be here, on the contrary, I’m just curious why you aren’t with your parents right now.”

Tim didn’t look as terrified by the time Bruce was done but he looked far from being at ease either and by then Dick was standing next to him, glaring at Bruce.

Bruce retreated out of the room, knowing that there was no dealing with Dick when he looked as murderous as he did in that moment. Dick obviously hadn’t liked the direction the conversation was going.

He went on a search for Alfred to ask him if he knew what was going on with Tim’s parents, finding him in the kitchen, baking for the Christmas dinner.

“Alfred, do you know why Tim is here instead of being with his parents?”

Alfred looked up from his preparations and regarded Bruce with a look that was both chastising and sympathetic.

“Master Tim’s parents decided to stay in Cuba for a few more weeks, meaning the young Master has to spend the Holidays without them. I invited him here, I hope that meets your approval?”

And even though it was phrased as a question Bruce knew that he had no choice but to agree.

“Of course, Alfred. I’m just a bit surprised.”

“And will you be joining us this evening, Master Bruce?”

This time Bruce found himself hesitating, despite it being the same kind of question the last one had been.  
When he looked up, he met Alfred’s eyes, which were very sympathetic.

“I understand that it is hard, Master Bruce, but Master Jason wouldn’t have wanted you to stop living just because he is gone. He loved you and he always told that you ‘needed to live a little’.”

The quotation marks were so clear in the way Alfred said it that Bruce couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“He was a good boy, Master Bruce, and I’m sure he wouldn’t begrudge you Christmas with the family you have left. Ordinarily I would advice you to carry on the tradition the two of you have implemented for Christmas Eve, but I have a feeling you aren’t quite up to that challenge yet, so I suggest you contribute to the charity in some other way. Keep his memory alive through your actions.”

That… was actually a really good idea.

“Thanks Alfred.”

Then he left the kitchen, knowing what he had to do.  
Alfred was right, he wasn’t ready to go to the soup kitchens and help the way he would have done if Jason were still alive, but he could do a donation in his son’s name. That way he could carry on with their little tradition in a way that Jason would appreciate if he were there to see it.

When he was done, he went back to the salon where he had left Dick and Tim, finding a decorated tree with the boys playing a game underneath it with Alfred looking on from a nearby couch. He went to sit beside Alfred.

“Thanks Alfred. That was exactly what I needed.”

Alfred smiled at him and nodded.

The rest of the evening went splendidly with everyone enjoying Alfred’s food and after a lot of nagging by Dick everyone was convinced to open a first present that evening. Dick was ecstatic and even Tim was smiling brighter than Bruce had ever seen him do before.  
When the time came around to head up to bed, Dick talking animatedly to Alfred, with a mostly sleeping Tim leaning on his shoulder.

Bruce told Dick that it was time to go to bed and to his amazement he actually agreed, though he seemed unsure what to do about the sleeping Tim. Bruce then decided on a whim to carry the boy to the bedroom he’d been staying at when it got to late for him to return to his own house. He put the boy to bed and was about to leave the room when a sleepy voice spoke up.

“Merry Christmas Bruce.”

Bruce smiled.

“Merry Christmas Tim.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think. I love seeing your reactions and I promise that the next chapter will be up shortly.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know wat you think. I appreciate any and all feedback and happy holidays to all.


End file.
